Theft resisting nut and wrench combination



v March 1945. ..J. GQLAN 2,372,269

THEFT RESISTING NUT AND WRENCH COMBINATION Filed March 12, 1942 ,/9, wwf/wrok. amyy Patented Mar. 27,

f iRESISTING NUT AND WRENCH yCOMBINATION A s n Leonard J. Golan, Buffalo, n. r., assigner lo Emu AVlIn.apcrexiskt Buffalo, N. Y. j

i Application Maren 12, 194e, sel-lai Na. 134;325v f realm. (cipal- 121).

This invention relates to combination wrench and nutfsets, and particularlyto those where the Jnuts are to beA theft'resistant.. f

There4 are many places where devices are securedin place by machine screws, bolts ornu-ts, and it. has been impractical toprOVide locks to preventV unauthorized removal of the nuts, bolts' or screws and thus to prevent theft of' articles secured in position by suchscrewsfnuts or bolts.

An object of the invention is to provide-animproved theft resistingnut and wrenchset which may be easily manufactured, and sold at e c0519 which will makeiteasily marketable.l

, Another object ofvthis invention is tov provide san improved nut and wrench combination, with which removal. of nthe nuts by unauthorized incli- .viduals will.' ,be made very diiiicult; `which will reasonably protect a device against theft. through unauthorized removal of nuts, screws, or bolts Iby ordinary thieves; which may beused where the l,

heads, of the `bolts or screws or the nuts are disposed in close proximity to ra. wall'whicl'llinter` feres, with thefree .application thereto 0i a pipe wrench or other type of wrench; with which any nut,V screw or bolt may be;v removed only by use of ,a` special wrench; with which a very large numbenof diierent combinationsl of nuts and special interfltting nuts and wrenches may be; oli-y tained; and which will berelativelysimple, prac tical and inexpensive.v

Other objects and advantages .will be apparent from the following description ofy several embodie ments of the invention, `and, `the. novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter' in connection with the appended claim.

4In theaccompanying drawing.: l Fig. M1 is. 'an elevation of a nut and wrench `combination constructedin accordance with this invention, and illustrating one embodiment of the same,A but with the nut and Wrench separated and disposed in `positionto be coupled; r Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation through, the nut,4 the` section being taken approxixnately along the line 22;Fig 3.. p Fig. 3 is an vend elevation of the nut, of

same; f Fig... 4t is a longitudinal, sectional elevatiox'iV through `the Wrench part of the combinaton,.the

l section being taken approximately along thelne Fig. 5` isgan end elevation of the wrenchvof FSJ; ,v t .L l Fig. 6v is a transverse. sectional elevation through` the wrench, the section 'being taken a.pproximately alongtheline G-Bwoi Fig. e;

the e Fig. '7 is a longitudinaly sectional elevation similar to Fig; 4, but illustrating a slight'modicationthereof, the sectiony being taken approximately'a-long the line 1 1; Fig. 8'; i'

g Mg". 8 is ya transverse sectional elevation through the embodiment of Fig. 7;-

Fig. 9- isa perspective of one of the keys employed in the embodiment oit-Figs. 7 and 8;

Fig. le is ai transversel sectional elevation through the wrench and' nut when they are coupled, the wrench and nut being made in accordance with the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs'. 1 to 6; l

- Fig. 11 is a. transverse sectional elevation through a wrench also constructed in accordance with this invention, but illustrating ano-ther arrangement of the interlocking portions;

Fig. V12` is an end or face elevation of a nut for which the wrenchof Fig. 11 is designed;

cord-ance with this` invention but illustrating still another arrangement of the interlocking features;

Fig. 16 is an end elevation'of a nut designed to receive the wrench of Fig; 15;

Fig. 171s. an end elevation of ay wrench con strncted, in accordancewith this invention, but having an integral operating handle;

Fig. 18 is1 'a side-elevation, partly in section, of

ay wrench also constructedin accordance withv this inventionr but illustrating aA slightly` different manner by which the ksocket may be turned;

Fig'. 19 represents in end elevation a group of diierentkeys that may be used in order to vary the possibile.` combinations or wrenches and nuts;

and` u l Y Fig. 201 is: an en delevation of a nut to which awrenclriv having one or morel of the. keys of Fig. `It may be Iapplied. l l

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. l tot, a nut l, the removal of which Iby unauthorized persons or thieves is to be prevented, is threadedupon the end of a bolt or stud 2 through an object: 3l and terminating in urecess 4 in which the mit l isdisposed; The wrench 5 is: the tubular socketk type of wrench,

and o: a. size to. enterthe recess i and telescope applied thereto and exert any turning torque thereon. The nut has one or more keyways or another about the peripheral Wall of the recess I to correspond to the arrangement and spacing of the grooves 1 in the nut I, and the keys I3 are slightly thinner than the widths of the grooves 1, so that when the socket wrench is moved endwise in telescoping relation with the nut I, and the wrench 5 is turned to bring the keys or ribs I3 into alinement with the grooves 1 oi' the unit, the wrench 5 may slidingly telescope over the nut I and be coupled thereto. During this telescoping movement, the ribs I3 enter and "slide along the grooves 1 like keys in keyways,

grooves l' cut into its periphery and extending from one end or face thereof a substantialfdistance toward the opposite end, and preferably en- I are non-symmetril of the nut, and they have substantial surface areas 8 between the grooves. cludes a body or element 9 of any suitable material, usuallystrong metal, which is provided with a chamber or recess I extending inwardly a substantial distance from one end. The recess I9 is of a size and shape to iit over the nut I by sliding, telescopic action thereon. Thev body 9 is provided with any desired number of milled slots II, which extend entirely through the p eripheral wall around the socket for a substantial distance from the open end of the recess I0, and terminate at their inner ends in oblique end walls l2. These end walls I2 are outwardly facing for a substantial part of their length, for a purpose which will appear presently. Disposed in each slot II is a key or rib I3 which has. a greater width than the thickness of the wall of the body or element 9 around the recess I0, so that each rib or keyway will ll the slot and also project a short distance into the recess I of'the body or element 9 and provide a key in that recess extending in an endwise direction from the open end of the recess.

Each key or rib is provided with a beveled en d I4 or other inwardly facing portion to overlap the outwardly facing portion of the end Wall II of the slot. The engagement between the walls I2 and I4 Will limit the movement of the inner end of the rib or key I3 towards the center of the recess I0. A shell or casing I5 encircles the body or element 9, so as to close the outer edges of the slots II, and by engagement with the outer edges of the ribs or keys I4, limit any outward movement of the keys in a radial direction. One end of` the shell I5 is flanged over. as at I6, so as to engage the end of the body or element 9 which is opposite from the end having the recess I0. The other end of the shell -I 5, at the open end of the-recess, is flanged toward the axis of the recess as at. I1,.so as to overhang the end of the body or element 9 and thus prevent endwise displacement of the shell I5 on the body or element 9. The flange I1 is further turned angularly to extend toward element 9 and provide an annular ange I8 Which enters an annular groove I9 in that end of the body 9 having the recess I9, and the keys I3 at their outer ends also have slots into which thev ange I8 extends. The flange I8, by its engagement inthe slots 20 in the outer ends of the keys, prevents inward movement of the outer ends of these keys. Thus the keys are eiiectivelyy conned in the slots in the element or body 9 and serve as longitudinally extending ribs or key portions extending as interval ribs or keys into the recess I9. These ribs I3 are arranged or spaced from .one

The wrench 5 inand thus provide an effective means for transferring turning torque between the wrench 5 and tne nut I. By applying a suitable turning implement to the hexagonal end 6 of the socket wrench 5, one may turn the nut I in either direction, either to tighten it or loosen it.

It will be observed that unless the wrench has a spacing of the ribs I3 corresponding to the spacing of the grooves 1, it is impossible to apply the wrench to the nut, and thus one must possess a particular type of wrench in order to turn the nut I. By varying the spacing of the grooves l and a corresponding spacing of the ribs or keys I3, and by varying the thickness of the ribs and widths ofthe grooves, a large number of dierent combinations of complementary surfaces for the nut periphery and the recess periphery may be obtained.

In rigs. 7, 8 and 9, the arrangement is similar to that in Figs. 1 to 6, except that the slots 2|, which correspond to the slots II, do not need the outwardly facing end Wall but may have a mere vertical end wall 22, and the 1key 23, instead of being a at metal strip, is of T-shape in transverse cross section, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, with the stem of the T extending through the slot 2l into the recess 22 corresponding to the recess Il). The slot 2I along the outer surface or periphery of the body 9 is widened or countersunk as at 24, to receive the head ofl the T iiush with the wall of the body around the recess, as shown in Fig. 8. The head of the T limits the movement of the key through the slot 2I into the recess 22. The shell 25, which corresponds to the shell I5 of Fig. 4, is a mere encircling shell with its ends 26 and 21 iianged over the ends ci' the body 9 so as to prevent displacement of the shell on the body 9 and to overhang the ends of the keys or ribs 23 and prevent their endwise movement along the slots 2|. This type of wrench may be applied to the same type of nut as disclosed in Figs. l to 6.

In Figs. l to 10, I have for convenience, illustrated the grooves as formed entirely in the nut, and the ribs as carried entirely in the wrench, becauseof the ease of cutting the grooves and slots, but it will also be understood that the ribs may be provided entirely on the nut I, and the grooves in the peripheral wall of the recess I0 or 22, so as to provide the turning torque between them. I may also provide ribs and grooveslin both the nut and the socket in order to increase the `number of possible combinations and permutations of parts, and give a larger variety of patterns for the nuts and Wrenches, and thereby increase the number of safety combinations available.

In Figs. 11 to 16, I have illustrated several or such diierent combinations and arrangements of the grooves and ribs to provide different patterns For example, in Fig. 12, the nut 28 is provided with a plurality of ribs 29 and a plurality `ofgrooves 30, both of which extend in and spacing to receive the ribs 29 on the periph-` 11 and 12, except for the diierent arnangement n of the ribs and grooves to show particularly how the combination may be varied.

In Figs. and 16 are illustrationsof a socket wrench and -nut respectively which represent further changes in the arrangement of ribs and grooves, and also showing the use therein of the `T-shaped ribs 23 of Figs. 7 to 9, as well as the plain flat ribs H ofligs. 1 to 6.

In Fig. 17, I have illustrated a socket wrench 35 having a' recess 36, with any desired spacing of the ribs 3'! and grooves 38 to fit a particularly designed nut periphery, and in this instance, the socket wrench is provided with an integral han dle 39 by which the socket wrench 35 may be turned.

In Fig. 18, the Wrench 40 is formed las in any of the embodiments of Figs. l to 16, but instead of having the hexagonal end projection 6 as in Figs. 1 to 7, the same end of the body 9 is pro vided with a square passage or recess 4| which receives the end of a turning implement 42 of square cross section. This implement 42, Whether straight or angular, serves as a handle by, which the wrench or socket 40 may be turned.

In Fig. 19, have illustrated la group of keys 23a which are similar to the keys 23 except that the1r inner ends have different edge forms or coni-igurations 143. A nut 44 wi-th Which such keys may be used, is shown in Fig. 20, and in that nut the bottom walls 45 of the grooves 46 in which such ribs are received, have forms or 'congurations that are complementary to the forms 43; so that `ribs of `the kind shown in Fig. 19 can enter only those grooves which have the proper configuration of the bottom wall to receive the particular complementary shapes of the free edges of the ribs. Obviously the free edges of the ribs 23a may Foe given anyother changes in shape, form or configuration in order to funther increase the possible combinations of details by which each nut can receive only a particular wrench designed for it, thereby making it impossible for the average person or thief to remove any nut signed for .the nut.

` without first possessing the properwrench de l In the use of the word nut throughout the specication and claims, it is to be understood that any anchorage part or member which is to be turned to apply or remove it, Whether it is the head of a bolt or screw, or a nut, and which may be turned byapplication of a wrench thereto, is to be considered as the equivalent of the word nut in interpreting these claims, and in understanding the invention. An example of the use of such nuts and Wrenches is in securing the removable wheels of automobiles to hubs in order toprevent the theft of tires. The only change necessary to apply ,this invention to present-day automobiles is merely to replace one or more of the ordinary hexagonal-shaped nuts used on each Wheel with` nuts formed in accordance with this invention. The special nuts provided for each automobile may be all of the same pattern, so that one wrench will serve for all of the nuts on the same car. These nuts which secure the removable Wheels to the hubs on automobiles are usually disposed close to a side wall of the central recess in which they are placed which makes the use of a socket wrench very desirable and almost necessary. A socket wrench such as shown in the drawing can be easily applied to nuts close to a side wall such as wall 45 in Fig. 1, and the wrench part 5 may be long enough to extend out of the hub or recess where an ordinary wrench can be applied over the hexagonal end projection 6, or a special wrench such las 42 applied to recess 4I.

It will be understood that various changes in the details and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention,

lmay be made by those skilled in the art Within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim.v

I claim:

A socket wrench comprising a body having a recess opening inwardly from one end thereof, and having a slot extending from said end in a direction endwise of said body, terminating in an outwardly facing end wall, a. key disposed in and filling said slot, projecting into said opening and having an end portion overhanging said outwardly facing end Wall to limit its movement in said slot into said recess, a shell encircling said body and preventing radially outward movement of said key in said slot, the end of said shell at the open end of said -slot being anged over the end of said body and slot to prevent endwise movement of said key lengthwise of said slot, and also flanged toward the adjacent end of said body, said key having a. slot in its end wall to receive said last named flange which prevents inward movement of the outer end of said key.

LEONARD J. GOLAN. 

